


When I Say "No."

by McFaneLy



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Assassin Zane (Ninjago), Blood and Injury, Intimacy, Intimidation, M/M, Mafia AU, Mob Boss Kai (Ninjago), Serial Killers, i blame discord
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:48:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25015726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McFaneLy/pseuds/McFaneLy
Summary: Working alongside one of the most prevalent Mafia syndicates in Ninjago hadn’t been something that Zane had thought he’d end up doing. Usually he worked by his own code, ‘I protect those who cannot protect themselves, by killing those who harm them’, and any deserving target was fair game. Though as close as he was to Kai Smith, the Mob Boss and his employer amongst other things, there was a line he drew and he wouldn't cross it.
Relationships: Kai/Zane (Ninjago)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 44





	When I Say "No."

**Author's Note:**

> A spawn of the Spicy Squad Discord server and myself intending on only writing a short 500 word fic for an idea that was mentioned there. As you can see I have no control over word count.

It wasn't everyday that Zane was called into Kai's office. Or at least, not an official call. Usually he just walked into the so-called "base of operation" and then proceeded to let himself into the office - whether Kai was in there or not - and waited. Usually, picking out an expensive brand of bourbon from the Tantalus case to empty before his employer and reluctant... Partner returned.

This time, Zane was the one being invited in, properly. He was responding to a summoning and… He didn't know what to expect. To be honest, he never knew what to expect from Kai but such was the spice of life. 

He paused briefly in the foyer, using a personal key card to activate the buttons to the correct floor; the top floor. 

Zane stepped in, turned to face the door, and blew out a hard breath as it slipped shut. 

He was relaxed, hands slipped into his coat pocket and thumbing lightly at the crimson gloves he had stored inside. 

Arriving at the floor came far too fast. The click of his leather shoes was the only thing that echoed through the hallway as he stepped down the barren passage to the double doors that crested the far reaches of the building.

This meeting could easily be about the job they did last week, or the one that Zane had conducted a few days prior to that. Or maybe it wasn't anything all that interesting. Just an official meeting. A meeting where Zane had thought wearing a pressed suit was warranted. Though it wasn't like he'd dress down when meeting with Kai, or meeting with anyone. He had standards, even when he was working. Even when he was doing a job. Sometimes he'd feign to slip on a jacket, something more streamlined. Leather trousers and matching shirt when working out of people's eyes. At the other end of a gun, perched on top of a building, out of sight and out of mind as he stared down the sight and clenched his finger; and as always striking his mark. 

Stepping into Kai's office, Zane's eyes immediately graced over the man's form. White dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, polish Oxfords draped lazily over the corner of his desk. He was ideally tilting a whiskey tumbler in one hand, the other distracted with a small knife, carefully moving his thumb over the sharp end. 

Zane frowned, but opted to not bring attention to the stupidity of the action, instead sitting on the opposite seat with the desk as a wooden wall between the two of them. 

Kai's attention was loose for a moment before his mouth split with a grin, sharp teeth, his tongue moving over his canines in an almost predatory manner. 

There was the illusion of blood between the teeth, over his cheek. Zane had seen it so many times with Kai's sloppy but effective work. The mess he always left behind, the carnage of the crime scene that thoroughly made him fall into the category of a disorganised killer. Partially anyway, if lack of care of the sanctity of the murder location was something to go by. 

Quite opposite to his own surgical cleanliness. 

"If you wanted to speak to me," Zane lent over the desk, his forearms flat against the wood. "You could have just called. But an escort from my place to the door." He raised an eyebrow, letting out a quiet and low whistle, "I have to say, Kai, I'm intrigued." 

The man just seemed to regard him for a second, a calculating expression on his face. Zane stayed sitting, fairly unbothered by the other's silence. He could stay focused, relaxed. It had been years since he'd ever had any form of on the job stress and he wasn't going to start now. Or ever. He wasn't going to be riled by the mob boss before him; especially when they were as intimate as they were. 

There was a slight huff, and Kai leaned over to meet him in the middle. Their faces were mere inches apart, and Zane could feel the unruly mess of Kai's hair on his bare skin. He kept his gaze level, an eyebrow raised. 

Eventually, Kai's facade dropped with a bright grin on his face. There was a sharp thunk just to his left as the blade was rammed into the top of the desk. It would leave a chip, but the tactile ridges of the wood showed that it wasn't the first bit of knife damage it had or would sustain. 

"I've told you I like you, right?" The question was said with a laugh, as if the point was obvious. It was obvious, very much so. The amount of times they'd been in each other's space, sharing glasses, alcohol, space. Beds. 

"Only in the dead of night with the light off." Zane retorted, his arms crossed loosely over his chest. He tilted his head, "What's this for, Kai?" He spread his hand around the room loosely. "This isn't really your… method. You have a habit of tracking me down on my days off for a job."

"What makes you think this is a job?" He questioned. 

"It's either a job or sex, one or the other."

Kai had the decency to nod and smile. 

Zane watched as Kai moved his feet back under the desk, then paused as he felt the others shoe brush up against his leg. 

"Job," Then he stopped, his slender fingers with wreaked knuckles slipped into his shirt pocket. "Or, more reference to last week's job."

He brought out a small image between his fingers, placing it lightly into the space between him and Zane. It was little, like it had been cut out of a glossy magazine. He realised after a moment, it was a picture day image from a school. A sample image from which the actual image could be purchased. It showed a young boy, a gap between his front teeth, a grin on his face. 

Zane couldn't help but give a smile back at the image. It was pure, soft, and didn't have any place in either of their vicinities. 

"He's a witness." The picture was tapped, and immediately his attention moved to his boss, eyes narrowed. He knew where those words led. 

Beside himself, Zane shifted slightly in his seat. Uncomfortable, almost. The atmosphere in the room had shifted instantly, an oppressive sensation settled in the assassins chest. 

No. 

No way. 

Kai didn't seem to notice the change, leaning casually back in the leather seat, the action causing a slight creak of material and metal. 

"It was a job last week, not one of yours. One of mine. Details don't matter," 

_They matter this time. I know that sometimes your word is enough but details are needed._

Kai was talking so easily, the words coming almost as if they were sharing a normal conversation. 

"He needs to be dealt with."

There it was. 

Zane could feel his own facade shift. He could feel the cool exterior break and melt down so quickly at what was being asked of him. 

He could feel his steady hands start to fiddle, his fingers threading around his pressed shirt and rubbing at the fabric. The hairs on his neck prickled, the layers he'd chosen to wear were becoming that bit too much. All he could do was stare down at the image, not moving away from the deep brown eyes, the damn school uniform.

"Hey, babe--?" There was the brush of a hand against his own, calloused fingers and a light touch. 

Zane pulled his hand away quickly, settling them in his lap. 

His eyes were slightly wider than normal, his breathing carefully regular. It was weird, but he could almost feel the lines on his back burning. The inked snowflake pattern that stretched from the small of his back to his shoulder blades, one side arching over his left shoulder and up his neck. In the sunlight streaming through the panoramic window behind where Kai sat, the ultra violet tattoo was all but invisible. It was a cityscape from the height of his office, high enough up that people below looked miniscule. 

"No," Zane met Kai's eyes. "No."

Kai seemed barely taken aback by that answer, a short simple breath blown out through smirked lips. 

"No?" The word was repeated back at him. The tone he'd used mimicked as if the man wasn't sure he'd heard him right.

The room phased into silence. Sharp, palpable. 

Then Kai stood quickly. The force of the movement caused his chair to topple backwards and strike the floor. Zane kept still, attention focused and emotion measured. He wasn't sure what was going on, what Kai honestly expected him to answer his request with. 

Had he expected blind obedience? Like a dog? That Zane would stand up, take the image and go and do his job? It was a child. 

_A child._

All too promptly, Kai had stalked around the desk towards him. Hands were balling in his collar, tightening it around his neck. He was lifted from his seat and all too rapidly rammed down into the carpeted floor. 

Kai was above him, his knees on either side of his hips, his chest bent forwards and his hands on either side of Zane's head. Breath hot and heavy against his cheek, pupils minuscule and the deep maroon almost red colour vibrant with some form of emotion. 

The sniper stared up at the man as a growl bubbled up from his boss' throat. 

_"What did you say to me?"_ Kai spoke carefully, his teeth gritted.

The grip tightened. 

Zane moved his hands so they were flat against his side, out of the way from Kai's assault. He could feel the pressure on his throat, the hard floor against his back. 

"No." He repeated. 

In response the hand in his shirt twisted, the material following suit and it only constricted him further. 

Zane, beside himself, brought a hand up to wrap it around his wrist as a method to try and stop him from twisting any further. 

It was instinct. If someone went for anywhere close to the face, the first action people took was to bring their hands up as a defence. Normally, he wasn't a slave to regular reactions. After so many years doing his job it had wreaked any form of normality that had been part of his life. When faced with a weapon his eyes didn't go immediately down to it, it went to the person holding it. 

Then there was hands on his throat, he went in for his own attack instead of trying to alleviate the onslaught. 

That was normally. 

Now though, it was different. Very different. What Kai was asking him, telling him to do--

Zane bucked his hips up, hooking one foot around Kai's waist and used his weight and momentum to shift positions. 

There was a grunt as Kai was forced to the floor with the cold killer on top, elbow pressed into his neck carefully. "I said no. I'm not targeting a child. No matter what you say, that's a hard no." Zane knelt forwards until he was right beside Kai's ear. "And if you try and do the job yourself, I'll hunt you down and the police will think it's a suicide."

He spoke with a level voice, barely wavering, whispered yet he was sure the point was across. Whatever experiences he and Kai had, the intimacy shared, if he targeted an innocent child-- 

Zane moved his other hand, using his hips to keep Kai pinned as he gripped the man's chin and forcibly moved it until they were directly staring at each other. 

Only to be met with a smile, and eyes that gave out far too much affection and emotion for them to both be talking business. Then in an instant, their lips were together. The kiss was rough, and bruising. The assassin felt his eyes slip closed for a second before he came back to himself and placed more weight onto the arm over his windpipe. 

"Kai, I swear--" 

"I was kidding."

Zane froze in place. 

Then in the next second and a sharp right hook to Kai's cheek later, and they were both laid on the floor beside each other. 

The red clad man was groaning, jaw clenched before he spat out a clump of blood and what looked a lot like a tooth. 

Zane winced, cradling his hand over his chest. "You bastard," He ground out. "A trick-- A child, Kai? Really-?" 

There was a laugh from his right, and a sharp elbow to the side dissolved the noise into a gasp and pained grunt. 

"I knew I liked you for a reason." Kai's said between stuttered breaths. 

"What? That I won't target a child? You know my code, you know what I follow." He closed his eyes. 

Somehow, for some reason, Kai pushed out one more chuckle. Zane wasn't even going to grace him with another strike. He just stayed still, one hand rubbing his own neck. 

"No," Kai smirked, "I know your code. 'I protect those who cannot protect themselves by killing those who harm them'." His voice dropped in a mockery of Zane's. Then his voice shifted, going almost soft, "You had the guts to say no."

"Because you're an asshole."

There was a hum of agreement, "I could have killed you for declining the job."

Zane opened his eyes and turned to face Kai, an eyebrow raised. "You could have been holding a gun to my head and I still would have told you to fuck off."

There was a pause, then a quiet laugh from the both of them.

"Yeah," Kai sighed, grinning. "God, I love you."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Fane,


End file.
